More than half of Africa now has COVID-19
More than half of African countries have reported cases of COVID-19 so far (Monday 16 March,2020), the latest being Liberia, Tanzania and Benin.
While the continent’s figures are still relatively low compared to other regions, soaring numbers have raised concern among health authorities.
30 countries have confirmed COVID-19 cases, with the total number of cases in the continent surpassing 400. This has prompted various governments to take drastic measures including the imposition of travel restrictions.
Many African countries have urged their citizens against non-essential foreign travel and have since stopped flights to affected regions in a bid to contain the spread of the disease.
In the latest figures, Egypt tops the list with 150 cases, more that double the numbers recorded by South Africa at second.
Only seven countries in the continent have recorded 10 or more cases so far, though the recent spike has heightened concerns that the figures could rise rapidly.
Here’s a look at Africa’s COVID-19 numbers;